On Thursday, November 14th at 7pm, the Staten Island Planning Committee of the NY Rising Community Reconstruction Program will be hosting their second Public Workshop.

Attendees will learn about the progress the committee made so far including a range of potential project ideas and most importantly, share ideas of how to make Staten Island’s East and South Shore communities more resilient.

Additional photographs detailing changes in appearance will allow for enhanced monitoring by law enforcement and greater public awareness

Senator Andrew Lanza today announced that the state’s Sex Offender Registry will now display multiple photographs of convicted sex offenders, in an effort to make offenders more recognizable to law enforcement personnel and the public.

Senator Andrew Lanza invites you to drop off and properly dispose of your used or unwanted electronics. Sunnking Electronics Recycling will be accepting computers, TVs, cell phones, small appliances and other electronics.

For many families in our community, Halloween is a fun time for children to dress up in costumes and go trick-or-treating.But it's also a good time to be vigilant and stress safety to our kids. Please visit my website to see if sex offenders live in your neighborhood and read these simple tips from the Federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to help make sure the evening goes smoothly:

According to recent data from the New York State Tax Department, 66% of Richmond County homeowners have yet to re-register for their Basic STAR exemption. If you or someone you know is a homeowner that currently receives the Basic STAR exemption, please take the time to register or forward this important information. The registration deadline is December 31, 2013.

The New York State Senate recently approved the “Public Assistance Integrity Act,” cosponsored by Senator Andrew Lanza, that would help cut down on the flagrant abuse of EBT (Electronic Benefit Transfer) cards by prohibiting welfare recipients from using cash assistance to purchase tobacco, alcoholic beverages, lottery tickets or to gamble.

Residents who are military veterans can now apply for a special designation on their New York State driver’s license when they apply for a license renewal.

If you are a qualified U.S. military veteran, who was honorably discharged, and you have a NYS drivers license, learner permit or non-driver photo ID card, you can have the word "Veteran" printed on the upper left hand of your photo document.

Residents who are military veterans can now apply for a special designation on their New York State driver’s license when they apply for a license renewal.

If you are a qualified U.S. military veteran, who was honorably discharged, and you have a NYS drivers license, learner permit or non-driver photo ID card, you can have the word "Veteran" printed on the upper left hand of your photo document.

The Verrazano-Narrows Bridge will be closed to all traffic Sunday, Nov. 3rd from approximately 7 a.m. until 3 p.m. for the ING NYC Marathon. The hotline phone # for closures related to this year's NYC Marathon is 718 556-8010.

Join Senator Andrew Lanza as he continues a tradition, bringing together a team of community partners to help answer your questions and provide valuable and free services to help preserve your quality of life.